About Dr. Nick

Dr. Nick's mom and dad,1945

I came into the world as a particularly sensual person.

Perhaps I inherited this from my father. He was a loud, laughing Greek man who made love to my mother almost every day for more than 60 years. Intimacy was their language; the preferred method of communication. He was also a great lover of food, and owned three food-related businesses—including a Greek restaurant—in my Wisconsin hometown.

For the eight children in the house, taste and sound and smell and sexuality hung in the air, beacons of a thriving environment. I developed such a keen regard for sensory experience that in my schooling years I was drawn to hands-on work such as carpentry and construction. My mind would wander unattended as I relished in the feeling of the wood, the pattern of the grain, the process of physical creation.

I also developed a passion for photography. It granted artistic access to my favorite subject, the human being. I was able to explore form, behavior and perception all at once. When I started the “Petals” project, my goal was to highlight the beautiful diversity of the female body. I had no idea it would become an award-winning book and documentary. This showed me, quite clearly, how difficult it is for many people to access the benefits of intimacy. After all, how can you be intimate with another if you can’t accept yourself?

The “Petals” project led me to The Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality, where I received a doctorate in Sexology. I have lectured and presented workshops with SSSS (The Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality) and ASEP (Association of Sexual Energy Professionals). I am also a member of The American College of Sexologists and The Chinese Sexology Association. My mission is to help people deepen into their essential, expressive selves—and the exquisite sensuality of life in general.

My interest in cannabis is part and parcel to this. I started smoking cannabis at the age of 18. It lit up my senses, transforming tactile tendencies into heavenly realms of awareness. It was such a complimentary factor that I began using it regularly for sexual purposes, and focused a great deal of attention on learning the most effective ways to integrate cannabis into a radiant experience.

In my research, I started hosting conversation salons. People were using cannabis for lots of reasons; aside from medical use, many seemed to rely on cannabis as a means to zone out, even numb down. Surprisingly, nobody talked about it using it for sex. This further inspired my desire to help others learn to use cannabis for tuning in, healing connection and enhancing intimacy.

As a Sexologist (and a photographer), I help people re-frame their sexual beings. With legalization on the rise, it’s the perfect time to re-open a perspective angle on the role of cannabis as a tool for this work. I believe it has the power to make the world a happier, more passionate place!